As a uniform patrol officer for the Anderson Police Department, he spends most of his 12-hour shifts driving the city's streets, "listening out for calls," he said, and never knowing what situation he will face next. The calls he answers most often are about domestic disputes, followed by calls about shoplifters, then wrecks.

"You have to be ready for whatever comes," Dickerson said. "People are depending on you to be ready."

It's not just the people who call for help who are depending on Dickerson; other officers are, too.

Dickerson is a field training officer for the police department, which means he is always among the first to teach the agency's newest recruits. They spend time with him even before they finish training at the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy. Once an officer graduates from the academy, he or she will have at least 28 more shifts on the road with him or another field training officer.

It is the way he trains other officers that earned Dickerson recognition as Anderson Police Department's officer of the year.

Officer Caitlin Gotto, who received training from Dickerson, nominated him for the honor.

"I think many of the traits required to excel at this career are qualities that are nurtured through living day-to-day life as a truly good person, both on duty and off duty," Gotto wrote in her nomination letter. "Some of these traits are the ability to talk to someone with kindness on their worst day (even if they are the suspect) while trying to gain information, courage to step into a leadership role when needed and succeeding, even when faced with making unpopular decisions, and developing a deep knowledge of a career that can only be attained by being driven and working hard at your craft. Working with Cpl. Dickerson on patrol I see examples of these traits every day.

"I see compassion and fairness from Cpl. Dickerson, and I hope to learn a lot from him. His demeanor is always collected, and his words are always fair."

In an interview, Gotto described Dickerson as "a truly humble person who works hard."

A trained mechanic, Dickerson became a police officer five years ago. He remembers a close call he had on Piedmont Avenue in Anderson a couple of years ago.

"A guy with a gun was threatening to kill the mother of his child," Dickerson said. "When I came up on him, he had a gun and he wasn't putting it down at first. I said, 'You need to think about what you're doing. Think about your children.' And he put the gun down. But I almost had to kill him. That one stays with me."

Dickerson is married with two sons and recently began the process of adopting a daughter. One of his sons is autistic, Dickerson said, and he believes that understanding his son has made him better equipped to help some of Anderson's most vulnerable residents.

His long-term goal is to help solve crimes committed against children, the elderly and other vulnerable adults.

"He truly strives every day to help people," said police Capt. Mike Aikens, Dickerson's mentor. "He really wants to, and it shows in his work."

Dickerson spends his spare time restoring old cars. One of his projects was a 1955 Chevrolet truck that he found in an Anderson County field and bought for $800.

"Most of the pieces of the truck were inside the cab," he said. "It took a while, but I finally got it looking nice again."

Asked what kind of work he would do if he could have a day in his dream job, Dickerson never missed a beat.